Fire-extinguishing composition.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY S. MORK, 01' BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 'I'O AMERICAN LA FRANCE FIRE ENGINE COMPANY, INC., OF ELMIRA, NEW YORK, A COB- ZEORATION OF NEW YORK.

FIBE-EXTIN GUISHIN G COMPOSITION.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY S. MORK, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and resident of Brookline, county of Norfolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Fire-Extinguishing Composition, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates in general to fire extinguishing compounds or compositions of the type embodying substances for the production of a relatively heavy blanket of gas or vapor to smother the fire, while at the same time possessing in its normal state, a permanence and so-called non-freezing character.. Carbon-tetrachlorid has already been proposed and employed as a principal component of such compositions, and other substances have been added to the carbontetrachlorid to lower its freezing point, to retard the dispersion of the gas or vapor which is produced when the composition is employed for extinguishing the fire, and to reduce the corrosive action of the li uid on the metal of the container in whic it is stored for use.

. The fire extinguishing composition, according to my invention, com rises carbontetrachlorid as its main ingre ient, and one or more ingredients for reducing the freezing point of the mixture, lowerin the boiling point and retarding the rate 0 evaporation.

In my prior application filed February 26, 1917, serially numbered 151,099, I have set forth a fire extinguishin composition in which carbon-tetrachlori chloroform and aromatic ester, or a mixture of aromatic esters of relatively high boiling point are employed. Instead of using aromatic esters in the present instance, I em loy artificial oil of sassafras or safrol. n its broader aspect, the composition is not limited to the use of chloroform, but may comprise as its essential ingredients, carbon-tetrachlorid and safrol, but I prefer the mixture of carbontetrachlorid, safrol and chloroform, and re ard this as constituti an important speci c embodiment of a roader invention. Furthermore, where another freezing point lowering constituent in addition to safrol is desired, I may use instead of chloroform,

Specification of Letters Patent.

7 Application filed March 27, 1917. Serial No. 157,641.

Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

ing a.marked depressing effect upon the freezing point. The safrol is, however, combustlble and for' this reason it is important that the percentage of safrol I should not be too high, as otherwise the fire extinguishing properties of the composition would suffer. Where it is desired that the composltion should possess the low freezing point which is customarily required, as for example 50 F. or lower, it becomes imortant to include chloroform with the caron-tetrachlorid and safrol, as in this way the desired low freezing point is attained without increasing the percentage of safrol unduly. At the same time, the use of safrol may be regarded as serving also to economize chloroform.

In order to illustrate the low freezing point obtained by the mixture of carbontetrachlorid and safrol I may state that a mixture of, for example 95% of carbontetrachlorid and 5% of safrol, by volume, exhibits a freezing oint of somewhere in the neighborhood 0 36 F., while with 90% carbon-tetr'achlorid and 10% safrol, the freezing point becomes still lower, being close to 40 F. Such mixtures constitute eflicient fire extinguishing compositions and are suitable for use where the lower freezing points are not demanded.

he effect of including chloroform in the composition will be at once apparent from a specific example of the invention, in which the three essential ingredients are employed. I may refer to a composition comprisin 921}% carbon-tetrachlorld, 5% safrol an 2%% chloroform, by volume. The freezing point of such a mixture is in the neighborhood of 50 F. and thus comes within the usual requirements with respect to the ability to resist low temperatures while remainlng in the liquid state. It will be apparent that corresponding changes in freez ing point will be :obtained by varying the proportions. of the several ingredients, and

. the invention is not to be understood as limited precisely to anyone or more of the specific examples recited.

. employed, not showing any marked corros1ve action upon the material of such co'n--='- The compositions which I have so fartested, embodying the' ingredients of the] present 'inventlon, are found to exhibit good re extinguishing properties, and in addition to the low freezing points ahead mentioned, they ofl'er. the advantages o being permanent liquids under all ordinary conditions of storage in the containers usually tainers, and being free from sediment or deposits during long periods of non-use.

I claim:

1. A fire extinguishing composltion contaming as essential mgredlents, c'arbon-tetpoint lowering constituent.

31A fire extinguishing composition comprising as essential ingredients, carbon-tetrachlorid, safrol and ch1oroform.'-- H I 4. A fire extinguishing composition comprising approximately- 925% of carbon-tetrachlorid, 2}% chloroform and 5% safml.

' HARRY s. Mom. 

